A summer without festivals simply would not be a summer in Japan. There are so many festivals throughout the summer in July and August, featuring fireworks, music, arts, film, food, and beer. There's also the World Cosplay festival in Nagoya.

Meanwhile, under scorching sunshine, the Japan-America Society of Greater Austin (JASGA) has already been working to coordinate and facilitate our programs and events like:
- the 2014 Summer Break Anime in August,
- the Academic Lecture in September featuring history of Washoku (Japanese cuisine),
- the Fall Japanese Language Program.
- AkiMatsuri (Japan Fall Festival).

Please take the time to enjoy these activities that are only made possible through the generous support of our partners and members.

My name is Jordan Woodard and I will be starting my first year of college at the International Christian University (ICU) in Mitaka, Tokyo this fall. I am planning on studying at this university for all four years of my college career and I am very excited to be starting this new adventure.

The reason why I am going to Japan to study is because I have been fascinated by the Japanese culture since I was twelve years old. It started by discovering anime while watching TV one night and then grew into a deep appreciation for many different aspects of Japan. It became my dream to visit Japan so I could experience everything first-hand. So, I began to research different colleges in Japan in order to make that dream come true. Out of all the colleges, the one that left the best impression on me was ICU.

ICU is a four year liberal arts college that accepts students from all over the world. The school sees itself as a bridge to and from Japan and offers a bilingual education in English and Japanese. In fact, all Japanese students must take English courses while all international students are required take the Japanese language program courses (JLP) in order to graduate. Once students complete these courses, they will be fluent in either Japanese or English. On campus people from many different countries and cultures live together, study together, and learn from each other. By attending ICU, students are not only immersed in the culture of Japan but also the cultures of their fellow students.

One particular thing that stood out to me when I was researching this school is that students do not have to choose their major until the end of their sophomore year. This was especially important to me as I have not yet decided on my major. Currently, I am considering different options such as majoring in Asian studies or using the Japanese I learn to become a translator or interpreter.

I'm excited for the experiences and opportunities I will have at ICU. I'm thankful that I am finally able to live my dream and I look forward to what my future will bring me.